Curcuma is a stately and elegant summer-blooming flower that's a lot easier to grow than it looks! This heat-loving, long-blooming tropical plant produces gorgeous spires of pink, purple, or white flowers all summer long. Curcuma makes an outstanding addition to garden beds and borders, as well as container gardens. Or use it as an eye-catching tabletop centerpiece on your deck or patio.

This easy outdoor plant can be grown by itself, but also makes an excellent accent to blue salvia, euvolvulus, caladium, and other flowers. Curcuma is also a excellent for mixing with tropicals such as hibiscus and purple elephant's ears in container gardens. 

A tropical plant, curcuma doesn't survive prolonged exposure to frosty or freezing temperatures. If you live in a cold-winter climate, it will not come back every year if planted in the ground (but you can store it in a frost-free place to protect it).

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Grow curcuma in sun or shade. In full sun, especially in hot climates, it's helpful to keep curcuma moist. If your soil tends to dry out much, it's best to grow curcuma in partial shade. This summer-blooming flower holds up to dry conditions fairly well when its grown in the shade. 

Curcuma prefers moist, well-drained soil that has a lot of organic matter, such as compost, in it. If your soil has a high sand or clay content, add organic matter before planting for optimal performance from your plant. Water curcuma regularly if your area doesn't get much natural rain; it thrives with about an inch of moisture each week while it's actively growing. 

Fertilize curcuma during spring and summer with any general-purpose fertilizer. Follow the directions on the packaging for application rates.

Prune curcuma in autumn, when the foliage dies back, to keep your garden looking fresh and tidy. Many gardeners like to deadhead, or remove the faded flowers, to keep their plants looking in tip-top shape. While removing old flowers makes the plant look better, it's not necessary. Curcuma grows and blooms just fine if it's not deadheaded.

Note: Curcuma is not intended for animal or human consumption. 

Curcuma goes dormant in winter, even in Zone 10, so don't be alarmed if your plant starts to have yellow leaves in the fall. The leaves will all disappear over the winter, but resprout again in the spring and bloom again in the summer. Get more tips for how to care for curcuma in winter.